Five nursing homes have been placed on a red alert for Covid 19 by the HSE.
Healthcare staff are dealing with a total of 59 outbreaks in nursing homes.
10 per cent of nursing homes in the country now have an outbreak.
HSE Chief Operating Officer Anne O'Connor said a number of homes are getting intensive support.
“I think, from our perspective, we are actively supporting a small number of those and providing intensive supports. So, there are five currently in the red status.”
Meanwhile, the head of the HSE says the Covid 19 trends over the last week have been encouraging - but has warned it could change very quickly.
The 14-day incidence of the virus has dropped to 212 per 100 thousand and the average number of close contacts per case is also falling.
But the HSE says the number of people being treated for the virus in hospital and intensive care is stable "at best".
